41 Natural Thermogenic Foods to Boost Metabolism

Natural thermogenic foods will help boost your metabolism and increase your core temperature to soften fatty acids making it easier for your body to lose weight since they will be able to burn more calories efficiently.

This list of thermogenic foods will give you options with high protein counts, omega three fatty acids, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.

These foods will give you plenty of options to create a balanced diet with the correct macronutrients to give your body the health benefits it needs to boost your metabolism and attack belly fat.

It also doesn’t hurt that they are delicious and easily added to any of your favorite dishes.

What Is A Natural Thermogenic

Any food that has a high percentage of its calories used during digestion will raise your body’s thermic effect and utilize more calories burning more fat in the process.

These are known as natural thermogenic foods since they cause your body to act a certain way just by you consuming them.

When these foods are used to create a healthy nutrition plan and combine with regular exercise, you will see a significant decrease in your body composition.

Proteins High In Thermogenics

The majority of natural thermogenic foods are high in protein since they create the most work for your body to digest, and keep you full the longest.

This combo creates a diet where you’re not eating as much, and when you do, your body is using the most significant percentage of calories to digest it.

Bison

I know this may be an outlier for most people, but the best type of red meat to eat when on a diet is lean red meats, and bison meat is a choice cut meat you can eat with up to 35% of its calories being used during digestion.

Bison has a very high thermic effect while containing all of the essential amino acids to build muscle, a high protein count to help keep you satisfied longer. It also contains high amounts of zinc that will help with immune health benefits.

Whole Eggs

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat containing 9 essential amino acids, healthy fats with omega-3 fats, and high protein that helps trim stubborn belly fat.

Polyunsaturated fats in the protein will help decrease inflammation while keeping cartilage healthy, the best eggs to eat are the one’s available at farm stands if convenient to you. Try always to purchase eggs laid by cage-free chickens.

Whey Protein

A common theme in this list is a lot of the choices high in protein, and that is because these types of foods are harder for your body to digest, which makes it use more calories.

These types of food also make you full longer suppressing your appetite and making it possible for you to consume fewer calories during the day.

Whey protein is one of the most beneficial of them all due to its absorption rate being at 97%, and this means that almost all of the whey protein you consume will be used in your body.

It can also be easily consumed in a drink, smoothie, or a shake.

White Albacore Tuna In Water

Tuna fish is an excellent source of omega-3 acids to help control your metabolic rate and help with numerous adverse health issues like heart disease, inflammation, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess abdominal fat.

Make sure you buy the tuna that is in water and not in oil to lower the calories and to have better control over exactly what you’re eating.

Fava Beans

Fava beans are nutrient-dense loaded with vitamins, fiber, minerals, folate acid, and thiamin. They’re also high in protein; this fat burning food will help boost metabolism to aid weight loss.

Add them into a quinoa bowl with some lean protein and chili peppers for a meal that makes your metabolic rate soar through the roof.

Natural Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of the healthiest foods if it is eaten in moderation and only made with whole peanuts when you purchase it; look at the ingredients label and see if it’s made with extra oils, sugars, or preservatives.

Suppose it is put it back and look for an all-natural brand. Peanut butter can be used as a substitute to other snacks since a spoon full will make you feel satisfied, try a peanut butter sandwich on Ezekiel bread for a protein-rich meal.

Almond Butter

Almond butter is the perfect food to pair with an apple, pear, or piece of Ezekiel bread.

It’s high in protein, fiber, and calcium and a little bit will go a long way like peanut butter you don’t need a lot to feel full.

It has been proven in case studies to be one of the most powerful thermogenic foods since it may help raise your metabolic rate to increase fat burning benefits overall.

Almonds in general have been found to promote extra calorie-burning helping you control your appetite.

Whole Grain Oatmeal

I love eating oatmeal any time of the day due to it having very little fat, but high amounts of zinc, fiber, and a high protein count will more than help you stay satisfied for hours helping your lower body fat while you burn away belly fat.

Stay away from putting syrup, or brown sugar into your oatmeal. If you want to add a little sweetness try using fruit instead.

Skinless Chicken Breast

You have to make sure it’s skinless or you’ll be adding way too much fat, and calories toy our meal.

Skinless chicken breast is a lean protein that is a staple in the fitness world for being a great food that can be used in nutrition plans to build muscle or lose weight.

High protein meals will keep you fuller longer to keep you from eating unwanted calories plus they burn a large portion of their calories during digestion.

\A 200 calorie chicken breast will take 70 calories to break it down during digestion.

Full Fat Yogurt High In Protein

You have to be careful when you buy yogurt because it has become a marketer’s dream in making you believe it offers a list of health benefits but in a lot of cases, it’s not worth the calories.

There are many yogurts that are worth being put into your nutrition plan, some will give you amino acids to help build muscle and control appetite, others are high in protein, or as a probiotic.

You can also find many recipes that use yogurt as an alternative to other products that are high in unhealthy fats.

Quinoa

This is one of my favorite foods since I tend to eat a lot of chicken and rice I like to use quinoa as an alternative once in a while to change up the flavors and texture.

It is a whole grain that is loaded with protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. It’s also gluten-free and high in fiber which makes it a great tool to burn away belly fat.

It’s almost a meal in itself, all you have to do is add a bean, legume, or a lean protein and you’ll be satiated for hours to come.

Salmon

This isn’t one of the strongest calorie burners on the list but it still has a place in your diet as a thermogenic and is also high in omega-3 fatty acids that are needed for a slew oh health benefits that will burn fat and boost metabolism.

This is intended to be a choice of food once in a while, make sure to watch the amount of fish you consume if you’ve been diagnosed with cholesterol problems.

Red Kidney Beans

kidney beans are a great addition to any meal since they are high in protein, keep you full longer, and contain an ingredient called amylase that helps your body breakdown starches and carbohydrates.

They do this by delaying the ingestion of carbs, this is why amylase is concentrated in many fat burning supplements.

Cottage Cheese

I love cottage cheese but you have to be careful since some types are extremely high in calories, if you’re on a calorie surplus this may not be a problem but if you’re trying to lose weight make sure you’re counting your macros.

It’s very high in protein, vitamin D, and calcium it can be used in many different ways to add its health benefits into your diet.

I like using it more when I’m in a bulking phase since I’m not a huge fan of it in lower fat choices but its benefits are the same no matter which type you pick.

Fruits High In Thermogenics

Fruits are some of the healthiest natural thermogenic foods since they are low in fats, contain natural sugars, and are usually low in calories.

Grapefruit

When I was in the middle of losing my 105 pounds I hit a plateau for a couple of weeks and my trainer told me to eat a grapefruit in the morning for 7 to 10 days to break through the plateau.

I did what he told me and afterward was back to losing around 2 pounds a week.

I had to do this one more time before hitting my goal proving that it wasn’t just coincidence that it worked the first time.

A glass of grapefruit before eating a cheat meal can help your body balance its insulin levels to help metabolize the extra sugar being put into your body so that you don’t feel so guilty afterward.

Berries

Anytime you’re trying to lose weight you need to make sure your insulin levels are balanced so that you can limit the number of simple sugars that are put into your bloodstream because they are always stored as fat severely limiting the amount of weight loss you’ll experience over time.

This is where berries come into play they contain antioxidants that break down starches that turn into sugars decreasing the amount of sugar that can be stored as fat. Increasing your weight loss and the fat burning functions of your body.

Raspberries contain ketones that are used in fat burning supplements, blueberries are efficient at controlling insulin levels and very low in calories making them perfect to add to any dessert or meal for low-calorie flavor.

Pears

Pears have the ability to aid in the growth of positive bacteria in our gut to help with digestion since there are only 100 calories in the average pear you don’t have to worry about feeling guilty afterward.

High in fiber, and having a low glycemic index when used as a snack or smoothie ingredient they can be a great source of healthy vitamins.

Apples

The polyphenols in apples have been found to attack visceral fat to contribute to weight loss, this is why actresses in Hollywood actually are known to eat a diet of 400 grams (2 large apples) of apples per day when they’re trying to lose weight and tone up.

Vegetables High in Thermogenics

You’ve been told since you were a kid to eat your vegetables and even though it annoyed you I find myself telling my kids the same reason and it’s for good reason.

They are some of the most nutrient-packed foods on this list and when incorporated into a diet can give you great results.

Sprouts

Sprouts have high health benefits containing dietary fiber, vitamins A, B, C, and E, and minerals like potassium, and iron.

Examples of sprouts are fenugreek sprouts that have been used for generations as a libido enhancer and a way to suppress your appetite. Mung beans are high in B-2 fat-free and are very efficient to boost your metabolism to burn more calories that may help decrease body fat.

Kale

Kale is full of omega-3’s vitamin K, fiber, and calcium. It also doesn’t hurt how versatile it is when it comes to adding it into your diet since it can be cooked, eaten raw, blended, or made into a juice.

Broccoli

I know many of you are going to say you hate broccoli but it is one of the healthiest foods you eat since it contains a high amount of antioxidants and vitamins A, C, B, and K plus a high amount of fiber which directly effects weight loss.

If you don’t like eating alone try adding it into a bowl of rice, chicken, or pork meal. You can also look into a healthy fried rice recipe (trust me it’s delicious)

Yellow Squash

Known for its high amounts of beta-carotene it also has one of the highest concentrations of fiber to help with insulin levels and cholesterol to promote weight loss.

If you have digestive issues you should look into eating squash. If you’re not digesting your food properly it can affect your metabolism making it easier for your body to store excess fat and keep you from receiving the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from your diet.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes help increase the production of a hormone in your body called adiponectin, which will help boost metabolism especially attacking stubborn belly fat.

Containing B6 and vitamin C, beta carotene, and manganese is a nutrient-rich healthy carbohydrate, that also contains dietary fibers.

Most people have a bad habit however of cooking sweet potatoes with brown sugar and pancake syrup this obviously won’t go well with your diet so you’ll have to make sure to eat them plain with salt and pepper.

Since it holds a low glycemic carb rating it’s very easy to pair with other foods to make it more favorable.

Spices High In Thermogenics

I know you probably don’t think of spices as being a natural thermogenic food but there is a reason why there was a war to control the spice trade 200 years ago between the dutch colonies and Europe.

It wasn’t just for the monetary value (okay it probably had everything to do with the money)

I’m sure it didn’t hurt that it also was the only way to make the food at the time taste better while also making it healthier.

Turmeric

A popular spice in Indian cuisine has an ingredient in it called curcumin which acts as a thermogenic fat burner while also helping keep inflammation down. This is useful for decreasing soreness after intense exercise.

Since it’s a spice it’s very easy to incorporate this into your diet just make sure to look up recipes due to its strong flavor it doesn’t go with everything.

Black Pepper

Everyone has seen a comedy skit or cartoon where black pepper is used to make someone’s mouth burn, this is because it contains an ingredient called piperine which is a natural thermogenic food.

Luckily this is already widely used in many dishes and can be put in almost any meal.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is comparable to pepper in the way that you can feel it burning as you eat it.

Cinnamon is actually more efficient at targeting belly fat since it has been proven to interact with fat cells and turn them directly into energy.

I love to add them to my oatmeal, put on top of my Ezekiel bread, or put it on fruit.

Ginger

Ginger also contains the same ingredient that peppers have in them called capsaicin.

This is why it’s used in sweet and savory dishes since the amount in it isn’t as much as peppers it’s not as volatile but it still has enough to boost metabolism.

Whether you want to use as a side with your sushi, by raw ginger and cook it into a dish or buy it as a spice to add to any dish you’ll still receive the same thermic effect.

Thermogenic Drinks

These are great ways to boost your meatbolism but you have to be careful what you add to them.

People have a bad habit of taking a healthy substance and making horrible for you by adding creams that are massively processed sugars and then adding a pound of processed sugar on top of it.

If you can’t drink your coffee black then try a little of whole milk or real non-flavored cream.

Coffee

I think it’s common knowledge about how potent caffeine is to enhancing calorie burn, suppressing your appetite and increasing your energy levels to allow you to work out longer and at a higher intensity to burn even more calories.

It has been scientifically proven to raise your metabolism by more than 10%, making it easily one of the most potent foods on this list.

Green Tea

Besides coffee, this is the one of the most potent and popular thermogenic choices that you can ask for.

Green tea is a duel threat containing caffeine and catechins.

Caffeine alone can raise your metabolism by more than 10% but when you add catechins it can nearly increase to 20%.

You won’t have any problem finding articles and case studies on the health benefits of green tea, you can also find different ways of supplementing with green tea from drinks, powders, and capsules.

Oolong Tea

Like green tea oolong tea is high in caffeine and antioxidants, just make sure not to add sugar or too much milk to it.

Misc Thermogenic Foods

these are all of the natural thermogenic foods that didn’t fit into any of the categories above but are way to effective at burning away fat for me to leave off the list.

Clarified Butter

Clarified butter is a type of butter that has had the milk solids and water removed giving it a higher smoke point, making it ideal to cook with.

Examples of clarified butter are niter kibbeh, smen, and ghee. These are the most popular types used and all have common attributes of longer shelf lives, higher smoke points, and rich fatty flavors.

People tend to shy away from fat since the media has led you to believe that it’s the enemy when trying to lose weight but you need healthy fats to burn bad fats.

You want to stay away from trans fats but need monounsaturated fats in your diet.

Clarified butter also contains omega-6 fatty acids that help with body composition, and contains vitamins A, D, E , and K.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is made of medium-chain fatty acids which makes your body store fat differently, people that have two teaspoons a day were found to use more energy on an average per day than people that didn’t take it.

These medium-chain fatty acids don’t store the same way as long-chain fatty acids so they are more easily metabolized causing a thermogenic effect.

Make sure to watch how much you use though since it is high in calories, and all of the studies done on coconut oil have been short term so make sure you record your weight loss overtime to make sure you don’t have to make any changes to your diet.

Walnuts

Almost all nuts if eaten in moderation can give you a great source of protein and healthy fats but walnuts are some of the richest in these categories.

They’re one of the highest sources of omega-3 foods that may help with metabolic rate to burn fat faster and more effectively

You can blend them into a protein shake, put them on top of yogurt, or add them into a kale salad.

Oats

Oats are one of the most underrated foods in a diet, they are loaded with fibers and can lower cholesterol, but you have to make sure to stay away from the individual flavored packets.

These are loaded with processed ingredients and high in sugar. Make sure to get steel-cut oats or another organic type.

You can easily eat these alone, add some spices from this list on it, or blend them into a protein shake.

Chili Peppers

The ingredient capsaicin may have a thermic effect on your metabolism that will cause a higher amount of calories to be burned.

Chili peppers also have a high concentration of vitamins A, B6, C, K, and potassium.

Being a fan of spicy foods I love adding this ingredient into everything from eggs, oatmeal, pasta, and anything else I can think of.

Enova Oil

This type of oil has been found to target visceral fat more heavily than other oils making it a popular oil to cook with. It’s is made of soy and canola oils.

I love salads but you have to be careful with what type of salad dressing you use, Enova oil makes a delicious homemade dressing, you’ll have no problem finding a quick recipe.

Olive-Oil

This is a heavy hitter when it comes to foods that can help with your insulin levels to help control the amount of sugar being transported by your blood then being stored as extra fat.

It’s a healthy fat high in powerful antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin K, which help with blood clotting and the production of red blood cells.

A long term study once showed promising results of blood that was high in antioxidants resulting in weight loss, this is why so many nutritionists and dieticians stress the importance of overall health as a factor in losing weight.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is one of the most beneficial fat burning foods that may help with weight loss, studies have shown that people that eat apple cider vinegar eat on average 250 fewer calories a day.

It helps balance your blood sugar so that you don’t feel your energy levels spike or dip throughout the day if you’re pre-diabetic or insulin-resistant studies highly recommend to start adding apple cider to a glass of water every day to cut your glucose levels down.

It is one of those foods that seem to help with a variety of ailments and that is why you will have no problem finding an easy way to use it as a dietary supplement.

Dairy

You have to make sure that when you eat dairy you’re using high-fat types. Yes, you read that correctly.

Low-fat dairy is horrible for you since it’s highly processed and is stripped of most of its nutrients like vitamin k that has been proven to decrease diabetes, and heart disease.

Since they’re high in fat they can are very calorie-dense and can be easily abused if eaten too much. Try using them in healthy recipes and make sure to add them to your daily counts. Butter and creams sometimes get forgotten about and end up being extra calories that weren’t accounted for.

Ground Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds contain what is known as soluble fiber, when it comes into contact with water it becomes somewhat of a concrete and is extremely efficient at suppressing your appetite.

this is why you have to be careful and eat them grounded, they can not be digested in the whole form.

Try adding them to protein shakes, salads, or oatmeal.

Dark Chocolate (with a high cacao count)

I want to make sure you’re not picking the high sugar dark chocolate that is candy. I’m talking about the more refined brands that are all-natural with a cacao count.

Raw dark chocolate has high amounts of Flavanoids and polyphenols that keep your heart healthy.

Higher amounts of cacao can decrease the chances of heart attack and stroke.

What Foods Have A thermogenic Effect

Any foods that are high in protein, iron, zinc, selenium, amino acids, and antioxidants will have a high thermogenic effect due to how much harder the muscles in your gastro intestinal tract have to work to digest it.

This causes a thermogenic response raising your temperature and make the fatty acids that your body has stored become more soluble making it easier for you to digest them.

Watch This Video To Better Understand Natural Thermogenic Foods.

What Are The 5 Foods That Burn Belly Fat

Avocados

One of the worse things you can have happened when you’re trying to lose weight is to have blood sugar spikes that tell your body to store extra fat.

The high mono-saturated fats in avocados help balance your blood sugar to allow your body to let its fat stores deplete.

Cinnamon

This is another food that burns belly fat since it is very effective at keeping your insulin levels balanced, a lot of people think if you exercise and eat right the weight falls off but it has a large part to do with controlling your hormones, insulin, and glucose levels also.

Green Tea

Green tea has 2 active ingredients in it that make it a powerhouse when it comes to burning belly fat.

These are caffeine and catechins which work together to increase your metabolic rate and targeting visceral fat.

Black Beans

Black beans are high in fiber, and protein making it a perfect choice to attack the stubborn fat in your midsection.

Their low glycemic index helps control your blood sugar, suppress your appetite, and keep you satiated for longer.

They actually decrease the amount of glucose absorbed into your bloodstream keeping your body from storing fat.

Berries

Berries are a great resource for antioxidants that help with your overall health and help deliver oxygen to your muscles so that you can work out longer burning more calories and creating muscle definition, especially in your abs.

Aim for the darker berries since they will have higher concentrations of the antioxidants that you’re looking for.

What Are The Top 5 Thermic Foods

There is no way to know which 5 foods are the most thermogenic, there are too many variables that would have to go into it including people’s genes, metabolisms, diets, and exercise routines.

What I can tell you is that all foods that are high in proteins, antioxidants, low in calories, omega-3s, iron, and selenium will have major roles in raising your metabolism, and controlling your insulin to make sure you don’t have blood sugar spikes which cause your body to store fat.

Conclusion

When I was first starting out losing my weight I didn’t have my nutrition plan as strict as it should’ve been and I had a trainer tell me “you can’t out work a poor diet”.

She was absolutely correct, you can train harder than anyone in the gym and never take a rest day but if you’re not putting the proper fuel in your body then your results will match what you’re eating.

Poor diet equals poor results.

Make sure to add these thermogenic foods into your diet along with a fitness plan to match the goals you’re trying to achieve and in the end you’ll get the body you want.